Rotavirus Vaccine launched in India

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 13:14:18 IST

New Delhi, March 10: In a significant development in medical science and pharmacy, Rotavirus vaccine Rotavac has been rolled out in India. The vaccine, first indigenously developed by Indian Biotechnology company, would help to reduce the infant deaths rate due to Rotavirus diarrhoea in the country.

The vaccine was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday in New Delhi. This is the first made in India vaccine by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech to fight Rotavirus diarrhoea.

Around 300 scientists were engaged to develop the significant vaccine. It took 15 years to complete the project.

With this availability of the vaccine, millions of kids would be benefited at affordable prices in India.

While Rotavirus vaccines by the foreign companies are available at Rs.1,100 per dose in India, Bharat Biotech proposed to sell its own product at Rs.63 per dose to the government and other backward countries.

The world witnesses over 4,50,000 infant deaths due to Rotavirus diarrhoea every year, out of which 1,10,000 deaths reported in India.